Russia's Putin shows off spoils from Siberia fishing trip

by The Associated Press

In this photo released by Kremlin press service on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin rests after fishing during a mini-break in the Siberian Tyva region, a few days ago. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Footage released Saturday by Russian state television stations showed Putin steering an inflatable boat and fishing bare-chested with a rod, accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials.

"It's a good catch," a beaming Putin said, displaying his spoils.

During the trip earlier this week across pristine mountain rivers and lakes in the forested near the border with Mongolia, Putin also tried for the first time to fish underwater with a spear gun.

Action camera footage showed Putin moving under water in a swimsuit and shooting a pike. "It's very sly and cautious," the president said of his prey after getting out.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the president spent two hours pursuing a pike before finally getting it.

The Russian leader has frequently offered macho images of his sporting life, which has included flying combat jets, riding horses, scuba-diving and riding a horse bare-chested. A longtime judo master, he now regularly plays ice hockey.

In other televised escapades underlining his love for nature, Putin accompanied a flock of cranes on a motorized hang glider, shot a tiger with a tranquilizer gun, tracked polar bears and released leopards into a wildlife sanctuary.